Best Movies Ever

Last off, I would like to thank Ryan, Greta, Tiffany, Scott, Josh, Jenny, and Brad for participating. And myself. I have worked three days on this and I believe I'm a better person for it.
I included the rest of you, because I wanted to let you see the fun you missed out on. I wanted you to see Princess Bride on the list and say "DAMN, how did that happen?!" And then kick yourself for not being a part of the experience.
Also, I figured you were too busy to join in and I wanted to waste more of your time.
With that said, on to the awards...
This, our first year, was a tumultuous one. Many fair opinions were offered. My only regret is letting women join in as they skewed the results in favor of garbage. Now, that seems like a low blow, but it needs to be said.
First, the biggest losers. The purpose of this is to show you what movies you voted for that no one else added to their lists. This will give you incentive to keep them to yourself and not trouble others with your "taste."
In no particular order:
Before Sunset
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Kill Bill Vol. 1
All About Eve
Shrek
Return of the Jedi
Mononoke Hime
ET
Groundhog Day
Highlander
Amadeus
V for Vendetta
Singing in the Rain
12 Angry Men
All the President's Men
Finding Nemo
Some Like it Hot
Dr. Strangelove
The Professional
Mystic River
Star Wars
Jaws
The Departed
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Sting
Terminator 2
Batman Begins
Pirates of the Caribbean: Black Pearl
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Heat
Unforgiven
Manchurian Candidate
Now, I would like you all to take a moment to laugh at these titles and the people who selected them.
Moving right along...
The winners this year were a ferocious bunch. I thank you all for your time and will present my own commentary on each title, as my opinion matters.
1. The Shawshank Redemption. This movie continues to surprise people. After finding it on TBS on a Sunday, the following week you're likely to tell a friend "You know what's an underrated movie?" And the answer follows. Although, I will say, the movie/book is a complete rip-off of Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood. But, Shawshank is still better.
2. Schindler's List. Hatred, Evil, Butchery - the Nazis. But, goddarnit, they make the best movie fodder. The world got a gift in Adolph Hitler, and that gift was the embodiment of evil: Vegetarian, dog lover, non-drinker, and non-smoker. This was a bad man. Plus, he butchered millions and wasted the Earth for 13 or so years. We see Hitler in the character of Amon Goeth (sans vegetarian/teetotaler/non-smoker). Amon reminds me of myself as a youth. His rapscallion drinking and porking, not to mention his lust of good food puts a smile on your face. But, at the same time, he murders people. I love this guy. Counterpoint - Schindler: a man driven by greed, but shown the light by Ben Kingsley. Not since Gandhi have I wanted to eat a cheeseburger so badly.
3. The Empire Strikes Back. It used to be people would say this was their favorite Star Wars movie and you'd want to punch them in the face for choosing the most underrated title. Like they are so cool. It's like those a$$holes in high school who listened to Kate Bush or some other crap band you've never heard of. "Oh, I'm so deep because I like a band no one has heard of. Anything on the radio is commercial slop." Nuts to you! What movie were we talking about?
4. Memento. The movie with the working title "Ass Backward." Also, the movie with the guy who SHOULD HAVE played Superman. Great flick. Kept me guessing. I like that in a movie. Like in Inconvenient Truth.
5. Saving Private Ryan. B.S. you not: when I went to see this they were mopping up puke from the previous showing. This was the first movie to make you actually think you just stormed a beach. Beaches doesn't count. Seriously, this was the finest first half-hour (after that creepy looking old dude and his hot blonde grandchildren and the weeping and so on) in cinema history. The plot and story peter out like a hooker out of KY, but DAMN!
6. The Princess Bride? What is wrong with you people? This is a trite, faux-comic, saccharin voyage to Gilman Village. This movie is so juvenile and pandering I'm surprised Hallmark didn't turn it into a "moment." Really, you should be ashamed. This was the movie that destroyed Billy Crystal - so much so that I can't remember if he ever WAS funny. I had to watch this movie every time I had a "movie date" in high school. I remember women that were hot turning to bowls of annoyance after I had to sit through this garbage. I really can't express my outrage in words. Your best bet is to watch Hitler deliver a speech and you'll get the idea of how much I hate this movie. I wish I was Amon Goeth and each character was a prisoner in my camp. But, that's going too far. You have your opinion and....GODDAMNIT!
7. Apocalypse Now. The most jumbled run-on sentence of a movie ever made - but, it works. Three solid hours of sex, drugs, and violence. The moment the movie opens up with The End and Martin Sheen drunk out of his mind was the moment I decided to take up alcoholism.
8. Godfather. This should have been number one, but apparently I'm working with hacks and Billy Crystal fans. Anyway. Do yourself a friggin service and rent this movie - or see it again for the first time. Solid movie. Absolutely no bad parts. Best movie ever made, the rest of you be damned.
9. Pulp Fiction. Second best movie ever made. Tarrantino's last flick before mediocrity and repetition. This movie blew my Vulcan mind. A man who had mastered every genre, reshaped it and shoved it in Uma Thurman's chest.
10. Godfather 2. A real man's number 3. What makes this a lesser movie is the absence of James Caan and Brando. One Deniro is like 38/40ths of a Caan and Brando. Man, that would be a bada$$ dinosaur movie - there's this guy who splices James Caan, Marlon Brando, and a Raptor. Damn, I should be in Hollywood.
11. Fight Club. I remember thinking this movie was about a bunch of dudes who fought each other, like Rocky or Roadhouse. I was wrong. This movie was about a bunch of dudes fighting each other, but totally different than Rocky or Roadhouse. In my top five.
12. To Kill a Mockingbird. Now here's a sweet movie that doesn't sap you out. Gregory Peck is the father you always wanted to have. And Boo Radley is the retard you always wanted to taunt. Anyway, I need to cry just a little...someone please play piano for me in the dark.
13. Seven. Titles, as I said before, are the best opening ever. The brutal dinginess of serial killing in all its glory. What was in the box? A head or a fetus? Both? Maybe the fetus in the head's mouth? I hope you're having a late lunch.
14. The Shining/Bladerunner. I couldn't bust this tie up. I apologize. The Shining is the best characterization ever. Period. Sure, Jack took this character through EVERY OTHER MOVIE HE HAS BEEN IN. But, it still holds up. Bladerunner was an elegant travel to the future. This had better special effects than all six of the Star Wars movies combined. The secret: understatement. God, that reminds me how much I hate George Lucas. Oh, and the movie Princess Bride. What a bunch of crap chuggernauts.
15. American Beauty. This is my chance to say "C'mon!" It was a damn fine movie, but a top twenty movie? I don't think so. By the by: if you play Billy Joel's Pianoman while watching this movie it totally syncs up.
16. LA Confidential. Great movie. Little story: I took this waitress that I met at a casino to this movie and as an empty gesture I told her she could bring the kid. She actually brought the brat and I was so freaked out by the prospect of going to see (josh cred) a "complex drama' with a two year old that I walked into the theater with a lit cigarette. I even offered to watch a Disney flick, but this chick was determined to mentally abuse this kid with graphic violence. Man, what happened to that chick? Anyway...
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark. I think "Crusade" is the best of the titles, but who am I to judge? JUST MATT ECKERT, that's who! I guess they're making another one. Knowing George Lucas, I'm sure the Nazis will be replaced by an army of Snuggles bears.
18. Stand by Me. Stephen King's third appearance on this list. What does that tell you? It tells you that Stephen King controls the media. THAT is what it tells you. Golden grahams, oh those crispy, tasty golden grahams.
19. Scarface. This movie made rap music. There's nothing else to say. Except that Princess Bride sucked.
20. Philadelphia Story. I've never seen this movie, but I'm sure if I had, I would be mad now.

Well, we had a good time - shared some stories, laughed a bit, and learned how to love at the same time. I'm glad I could email you my opinions, once again. But, this time, I tried to infuse the opinions of others.
My equation for the scores was first: number of times a movie appeared on all the lists, then by number on the list.
Have a good day.
You deserve it!